In a few days, the biggest game of the professional football season will be underway. Local bars and restaurants will be crowded with fans cheering on either the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots. If you’re thinking about ditching the crowded bar scene and hosting friends at your own house, here are five simple steps to creating the perfect party for the big game.
1. Make a Guest List
It’s not a party without the people, right? That’s why the first thing you should do is create an invite list. Which of your friends will be in town? Who likes football (or any reason to go to a party)? Think about who you want at your party and shoot out some invite texts.
Send group texts so people know who else is going, or create individualized texts to make it more personal. Send the invites out a week or so before the party so you know how many people to expect. Now, the fun begins.
2. Get Your Space Ready to Host
Once you know whether to expect 5 or 50 people at your party, think about how you want to arrange your living space to accommodate everyone. Gather your comfiest cushions, throw pillows, and blankets and set them up on the living room floor in front of your TV or projection screen. People will be getting up frequently for food and drinks, so you’ll want to place them in a way that allows people to move freely around the living room without making everyone else get up.
Transform your home into a cozy space to make things easily accessible and convenient for your guests. Make sure you have a decent supply of paper plates, cups, paper towels, and toilet paper, too. Get football-themed decorations, ice, drink mixers, and anything else to make your party feel festive.
3. Choose the Food
Maybe you like to cook everything from scratch and can’t stand the store-bought stuff. Or, maybe you’d rather not cook at all and want to make it a potluck of sorts. Whatever your style is, be sure to communicate that with your guests so they know if they need to bring anything. If you are cooking, here are a few of our favorites that will kick your game day food game up a notch:
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- Wings: Try these tasty Honey-Lime Baked Chicken Wings with Tequila Chipotle Glaze
- Pizza: Make a homemade pie with this super easy recipe for a BBQ Mac & Cheese Pizza
- Chips ‘n Dip: Satisfy everyone’s tastebuds with the classic, yet delicious, Buffalo Chicken Dip, best served with tortilla chips
- Tacos: Treat your guests to homemade Al Pastor Tacos with Caramelized Pineapple; just be sure to prep all the fixings ahead of time for this one
4. Drinks, Drinks, Drinks
Just because football and beer have traditionally gone hand in hand doesn’t mean you can’t mix things up. Try some game day drinks like this Hibiscus-Rosemary Mezcal Cocktail, inspired by NYC bartender Alan Ruesga-Pelayo’s love for his grandmother’s homemade aguas frescas, or a Fizzy Strawberry Pisco Sour Punch, which can easily be made in large batches ahead of time so you can enjoy the game.
If neither of those sound appealing, you can always resort to one of these winter cocktails instead. As with any party, be sure to take guests’ allergies into consideration, and provide alternatives for those who don’t drink alcohol.
5. Play Football-Themed Games
There are always going to be a few friends who would rather socialize and chat than watch the game. If that’s the case, let them enjoy your party however they’d like! Or, if you want to get everyone more engaged, start a betting bracket with printable pool squares, sweetening the pot by having everyone throw in $5 so the winner gets a nice chunk of change. Other ideas include football bingo and commercial drinking games, in case you need another reason to take a sip of those delicious cocktails.
That’s all there is to it, folks. The perfect party for the big game doesn’t have to be fancy or over the top in any way. As long as you have game day food and drink, the right amount of seating in your apartment, and friends there to watch the big game with, you’re sure to have a good time.
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